Tag Archives: choosing a recruiter

How to identify a solid marriage with your recruiter…..

How can you identify whether it would be a good, solid marriage? How often have you entered into relationships, just to find out that it didn’t work out in the end, because somewhere along the line you just weren’t communicating and somewhere along the line you just started living past each other?

How often have you wasted your time with numerous recruiters in submitting documents and attending interviews, just to never hear from them ever again?

Here are the top things that you should be looking out for when engaging with a recruiter:

The First Date:

Are they sharing all the information with you?

Like with any first date, you dress up, show up and start sharing and offering information with one another and you have to be attracted to what’s on offer…..

When I first started out in my career as a recruiter, I was told that I should not share too much information with candidates upfront, regarding the available position until you have all their documentation etc. This was strange to me – why would I not share the information? How is the potential candidate going to know what he/she is getting him/herself into if they are not allowed to have all of the information upfront? I quickly decided to scratch that rule. It just didn’t make sense to me then and it still doesn’t make sense to me now, even though many recruiters still go by this today and they have their reasons, but it just makes no sense engaging with a recruiter and sending them all your documentation and attending an interview with them just to later find out that you don’t even want to apply for a job at company XYZ. You will just be wasting your time. So make sure you ask them all the details about the job upfront, including a proper job spec, name of the company and their company URL so that you can get equipped with the information first.

All the information exchanged will give you a clear idea if you are willing to go on a second date with them….

The Second Date:

Are they genuinely interested in assisting you?

Like with any second date – ask yourself if your recruiter is genuinely interested in you. Are they asking you all the right questions or are they just selling the job to you? Are they genuinely listening to your needs or are they constantly trying to convince you to take a job in Timbuktu? Your recruiter should be listening to your needs and trying to cater to them within reason. So discuss your absolute “musts” with them and then also discuss “nice to haves” with them and then see whether they are staying within those realms.

Popping in to say “Hi”:

Are they following up with you?

Are they keeping you posted about new positions that become available? Are they giving you feedback after you have attended an interview and are they keeping you updated on the status of your application? They should be following up and engaging with you throughout the process. They should also be giving you feedback after attending an interview, even if you were declined for the role. Feedback after an interview is one of the key elements in identifying where you are going right or wrong in your job search.

The Proposal:

You have an offer, so what now?

When a man gets onto one knee and proposes, he already knows that he is making the right decision to spend the rest of his life with his bride.

Is your recruiter still trying to sell the job to you at this point? A recruiter should not be selling anything to you here – big red flag! They should not be selling you on the salary being offered, they should not be selling or convincing you to take the position and they should most definitely not be putting pressure on you to accept the offer before tomorrow morning at 08:00 am or the offer will expire – heard this before? I am sure you have! By the time you receive an offer from a potential employer, you should have already been through all the ropes. You should have already discussed figures with your recruiter – what is the minimum salary that you will move for or what would be your “wow” figure. In fact, you should not even be receiving an offer at this point if you still have any concerns. This means something, somewhere in the process went wrong – 1) Either your recruiter didn’t listen to your needs or 2) You weren’t open and honest with your recruiter.

Nevertheless – Your partner should not try and convince or force you to accept the proposal. Don’t be bullied into anything. This is your life.

The Wedding day:

How you should feel when accepting the offer.

You should feel 100% excited about accepting the offer. By this stage you should know in your heart of hearts that you are making the right decision and that you are excited to commit to your dream job. You shouldn’t have any doubts going into this. This is a huge life altering decision and that’s it! You have to commit to it. No pulling any runaway bride stunts here!

Divorced!

Did you get divorced after you have accepted the position?

You have accepted a position and you spoke to your recruiter all the way, every single day in your job search. You have formed a bond and shared confidential information with each other. You have now started with company XYZ and all of a sudden the communication is non-existent. Is your recruiter at least interested in finding out whether you are happy in your current role or if there is anything that he/she can assist you with while you are still finding your feet? Do you need clarity on anything? Point is – your recruiter should be following up with you once you start with a new company and also offer post placement support.

Shop around until you find a solid relationship with a recruiter – someone you can come back to time after time.